But a source close to the portly failed entrepreneur admitted that he doesn’t have any money.

“The business was running at a loss. He deluded himself into thinking if he could just turn the corner, he could pay the sales tax back and keep going,” said the source.

“At sentencing, he will say he feels terrible. He feels awful about all these couples.

“But he hasn’t been able to say that because of his ­legal position.”

City school teacher Victoria Friedrich, 30, of The Bronx, who lost a $20,000 deposit for her planned February 2015 nuptials, said, “We’re happy to see that he’s facing jail time, but we want justice for the brides and grooms, too.

“Why is it a crime when you steal from the government but not from citizens?”

Her hubby-to-be agreed.

“Even if he doesn’t have the money to pay us, we still want him to be brought up on charges for the money he stole from us,” said Egon Smullyan, 32.

Stevens turned himself in last month after he was charged with stealing about $200,000 in sales taxes between 2009 and 2012 and failing to collect about $1.2 million in sales taxes during the same period, said Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson.

Stevens will not have to pay restitution on the sales tax he stole or didn’t collect, a DA spokeswoman said.

Stevens was accompanied in court by a man the brides identified as “Peter,” a reBar general manager married to Stevens’ bookkeeper.

“Hi, Mr. General Manager!” a bride hollered at the man as he helped Stevens into a waiting car.